KENT, Ohio – On Friday evening the Miami University softball team opened up the Mid-American Conference season with a pair of deafening wins over Kent State University. The RedHawks took game one 7-1 with the help of phenomenal pitching from
Madilyn Reeves. They took game two 14-3, thanks to six RedHawk home runs. The RedHawks improve to 11-14 on the season (2-0 MAC). Kent State drops to 7-18 (0-2 MAC).
HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME 1):
- In the top of the first, Shelby Kunkel nailed a RBI double to the center field wall, allowing Kaylee Oh to grab a 1-0 lead for the RedHawks.
- Danitza Hernandez doubled the lead 2-0 in the top of the third when a RBI double from Oh allowed her to cross home.
- Jenna Golembiewski followed that up with a sacrifice fly to push Oh across the plate and make it a 3-0 advantage for the Red and White.
- In the top of the fourth, Ella Carter took home on a RBI single from Mckenna Campbell to extend the difference to 4-0.
- Two more runs crossed the plate for the 'Hawks in the top of the fourth when Oh doubled through left field. Both Campbell and Erin Pinter scored to increase the lead to 6-0.
- Chloe Parks hit a sac ground out in the top of the seventh to score Oh and push the RedHawk lead to 7-0.
- In the bottom of the seventh, a solo home run broke the shutout, making it a 7-1 game, but the RedHawks held this through the end of the game to take the win 7-1.
NOTES:
- Oh went 2-for-2 at the plate. Kunkel went 2-for-4.
- Oh, Kunkel, Golembiewski, Parks, and Campbell had RBI for the Red and White. Oh had three.
- Hernandez, Oh, and Kunkel had doubles in the game.
- Reeves pitched the complete game, allowing just one run and two hits. She struck out five and needed only 90 pitches to get the job done. Reeves is now 7-6 and has surpassed 75 strikeouts on the season with 76 total.
HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME 2):
- Kunkel got the RedHawks started early in game two in the top of the first, smashing a solo home run and claiming a 1-0 lead.
- Still in the first, Parks hit a two-run homer over left, also scoring Golembiewski and upping the advantage to 3-0.
- Carter followed that up with a solo homer of her own to make it a 4-0 lead.
- Golembiewski hit a two-run homer in the top of the second, also scoring Kunkel, to push the Miami lead to 6-0.
- Oh had her turn at hitting a homer in the top of the fourth, increasing the RedHawks' lead to 7-0.
- Kunkel followed that up with her second home run of the game, making it a difference of 8-0.
- A dropped third strike play at first base allowed Golembiewski to cross home and extend the lead to 9-0.
- Still in the fourth, Parks scored to make it a 10-0 game when Pinter singled down the left field line.
- Madie Patton followed that up with a RBI single that scored Holly Merritt, upping the advantage further to 11-0.
- The fourth inning continued as Kunkel hit a two-RBI single to right, scoring Patton and Pinter and increasing the difference to 13-0.
- Two runs scored on a single from the Golden Flashes in the bottom of the fourth, cutting the deficit to 13-2.
- A sac groundout in that same inning allowed another run across for Kent State, making it a 13-3 game.
- On an error in the top of the fifth, Parks crossed home to extend the lead to 14-3. The RedHawks held this through the end of the fifth to take the game 14-3 in five innings.
NOTES:
- Half (7) of the RedHawks' runs came in the fourth inning.
- Kunkel went 3-for-3 at the plate. Pinter went 3-for-4.
- Golembiewski went 2-for-4 at the plate.
- Seven different RedHawks recorded RBI. Kunkel recorded four.
- Five RedHawks had homers. Kunkel had two.
- Pinter and Kunkel each had two extra-base hits.
- Léa Chevrier pitched the complete game, striking out seven and allowing just five hits.
- The RedHawks now have 160 runs on the season and surpassed 200 hits (now 208).
UP NEXT: The RedHawks conclude their series with the Golden Flashes tomorrow, March 15 at 12:30 p.m. in Kent, Ohio.
